​Judging a Book by Its Cover: Twitter Thread

​“We love the things we love for what they are.” Robert Frost

A Twitter thread requested followers to "upload a book cover they love, without saying why; mention who invited you and invite 8 others to do the same." I decided to play along. But first had to decide: what book cover should I post? It seemed clear to me that the directive did not relate to the contents of the book. This wasn't about a book that I loved. It was about a cover.This required a bit of research. Naturally, I first went to Chip Kidd for information on book cover design and creation.

I like his assertion that good design is a balance between clarity and mystery. I immediately thought of Jerry Spinelli’s Star Girl, a cover that encapsulates this book design concept. I was ready to post that iconic blue cover when my eyes happened upon Draw the Line by Kathryn Otoshi. I was captivated. Look at the boy on the front cover: his jubilant face, standing barefoot on tiptoe, body stretched to make a line. LOVED this. But wait. The back provides an important clue to the story. Someone else is also creating a line. What will happen when the line meets? Where will the boys draw the line? With both clarity and mystery, Otoshi invites readers to open this book.

Below is a selection of some covers favored in the Twitter thread. Each image was to be posted without comment. Some of these books are old and dear friends of mine. Some are titles that I have yet to explore. What say you? If you were allowed only one book cover, what one would you post?

Limiting colors to complimentary purple and yellow, opposites on the color wheel, is brilliant.